How to Answer: What do you fear will be your potential weaknesses as a correction officer inside our prison?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Correctional Officer job interview.
36. What do you fear will be your potential weaknesses as a correction officer inside our prison?
Focus Your Answer On
When responding to this question, focus on the steps you are taking to improve your weakness. Briefly describe your fault and end your response in a positive light.
Written by Krista Wenz on February 10th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid spending a lot of time on your weakness or failing to mention how you plan to improve. The interviewer is most interested in seeing that you identify an area that needs improvement and the steps you are taking to reach your goal.
Written by Krista Wenz on February 10th, 2022
Entry Level Example
"I just recently completed my education in criminal justice and am happy with the knowledge that I gained. My training did not cover many technical skills. I would like to have stronger computer skills, so I recently enrolled in a six-week evening course on Excel and Outlook."
Written by Rachelle Enns
Answer Example
"I do not fear that my weaknesses would make me a poor fit as a correction officer, but I do know what areas I would benefit from working on. I am working on my ability to completely let the emotions of my day go when I arrive home. This way, I will always come back to work feeling refreshed. I have found that working out immediately after I get home helps me let go of those emotions and puts my head in a better place."
Written by Krista Wenz on February 10th, 2022
Experienced Example
"I'm very good at getting inmates to comply. A lot of the time, I can de-escalate the situation before it gets physical. But I'm not as experienced in dealing with inmates once the situation is escalated to a physical altercation. I'm taking martial arts classes now to learn how to contain the inmate without causing injury."
Written by Rachelle Enns
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Some recommendations if you'd like to revisit your approach:
Genuine vulnerability is essential, but be sure to include what you are doing to improve on the weakness. The interviewer wants you to be honest about your weaknesses and, at the same time, they want to see that you are proactive and dedicated to professional growth.
Here is a helpful framework that you could try: "I believe my biggest weakness is [X]. I do believe that [lift yourself up a bit by mentioning that you show potential in this area], however, I could be better in this area. To improve, I am [discuss the specific action steps you are taking to improve this weakness]. By [give a dedicated timeline], I plan to [mention the goal you wish to reach when it comes to improving this weakness]."